Such assemblies are generally known, for example from DE 100 47 325 A1, which is incorporated by reference, and as a rule are arranged just below an engine hood of the motor vehicle. In the fitted state the fluid reservoir of the assembly, in particular, is often situated directly beneath the engine hood.
The state of the art discloses safety devices for motor vehicles, in which, in the event of a vehicle impact with a correspondingly large degree of deformation, a so-called brake unit comprising a brake booster, a master cylinder and a fluid reservoir is pivoted away from the footwell so that the driver will not be injured. Such a safety device is disclosed, for example, by DE 103 26 952 A1, which is incorporated by reference.
The invention is concerned with the protection that a vehicle and its components afford to pedestrians. New provisions require that the front of the vehicle should comprise passive protection for pedestrians. In this context it is essential that the engine hood of the vehicle be capable of absorbing the impact energy of a body. This presupposes, however, that the engine hood is capable of deformation. Owing to the small overall space available in the engine compartment, the assembly comprising a master cylinder and a fluid reservoir cannot be arranged lower down in the engine compartment. Furthermore, the assembly and in particular the fluid reservoir must meet certain stability requirements, thereby making a deformation of the engine hood in the area of the assembly impossible.